August 26, 2021
Dear students:
As of Monday, the New York State requirement for SUNY and CUNY students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is now going into effect. Following State University of New York policy, all students who are accessing campus facilities must be fully immunized against COVID-19, with limited exceptions.
If you have already verified or submitted your vaccination records, there is no need to take further action!
As of today, students who have not yet submitted vaccination records now have 8 days left to:
- Get the first dose of the vaccine (if taking Pfizer or Moderna),
- Submit/verify your vaccination records, or
- Apply for a medical/religious exemption and a temporary accommodation.
Deadlines
- First dose must be completed by Friday, September 3 (if taking Pfizer or Moderna).
- Second dose (if taking Pfizer or Moderna) or single dose (if taking Johnson & Johnson) must be completed by Monday, September 27.
Consequences
If you do not receive your full vaccination and provide the requisite documentation, or are not approved for a religious or medical exemption by 4 p.m. on Monday, September 27, you will be immediately disenrolled from classes, restricted from entering campus, and will not receive any refunds for housing, meals or tuition.
Based on the SUNY tuition refund schedule, students who withdraw within the first week of classes are eligible for a 100% refund. However, students who wait until the final deadline to withdraw (at the beginning of the fifth week of classes) would be ineligible for any refund at all.
If you do not intend to apply for a religious or medical exemption, and do not intend to receive your vaccination, we highly recommend that you withdraw before the first week deadline, in order to receive your full refund and avoid unnecessary debt, as this may affect your financial aid.
For those seeking a religious or medical exemption, please see the information below.
Campus vaccine clinic
SUNY Potsdam will host a free Pfizer vaccination clinic on campus in time to ensure that all students can comply with this state requirement.
Pfizer Vaccine Clinic
Hosted by St. Lawrence County Public Health & Student Health Services
Friday, September 3
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Barrington Student Union Multipurpose Room
Register in advance online
Doses of the Moderna vaccine will also be available for those who may have received a first dose and have not yet completed their vaccine series.
A second clinic will be held to provide the second doses of the vaccine on Friday, September 24.
Other vaccination locations
If you cannot make the campus vaccine clinic on Sept. 3, don’t worry! You still have time to receive vaccinations at pharmacies and local clinics here near campus, or get your first dose in your area before leaving home. To find locations, search at https://www.vaccines.gov/search/, or text your ZIP code to 438829. Remember, the deadline for completing your first dose (if taking Pfizer or Moderna) is Friday, September 3. Second doses (for Pfizer or Moderna) or a single dose (if taking Johnson & Johnson) must be completed by Monday, September 27.
Temporary accommodations & exemption requests
As a reminder, all unvaccinated and partially vaccinated students must complete the Temporary Accommodation Application. Unvaccinated students may also submit a Medical Exemption Form or a Religious Exemption Form if they choose to do so. Medical exemption requests must be signed by a licensed health care provider. Please note that students with an approved measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) exemption will still need to apply for a COVID-19 exemption, if they desire to do so. However, an approved MMR exemption does not guarantee approval for an exemption from the COVID-19 vaccine.
Additional requirements going forward
Students who are partially vaccinated or who are approved for a medical or religious exemption will be required to be tested for COVID-19 weekly, to wear face coverings and maintain social distancing at all times indoors, and to be masked outdoors when social distancing is not possible. There will not be an option to study virtually if your classes and activities are in person (as the vast majority are this semester). Reasonable accommodations will be made for any students whose exemption requests are approved.
Other considerations
If you have recently contracted COVID-19 and are not yet vaccinated or are only partially vaccinated, please submit your positive test results to Student Health Services as soon as possible, via the secure file upload. You may receive the vaccine once you have left isolation and no longer have symptoms. If you were treated for COVID-19 with monoclonal antibodies or convalescent plasma, you should wait 90 days before being immunized. You are also exempt from campus testing requirements for 90 days after your first positive test result. If any of these situations apply to you, please complete the Temporary Accommodation Application and contact Student Health Services.
Find answers to commonly asked questions about the vaccines and more resources at: https://www.suny.edu/knowyourvax/
For more information about our Fall 2021 plans, visit www.potsdam.edu/prepared.
Sincerely,
Eric Duchscherer
Dean of Students
SUNY Potsdam